


A Basket of Joy

by LuciferaBlack



Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe, Baby Lizzie, Cute, Fatherhood, Gen, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22517467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuciferaBlack/pseuds/LuciferaBlack
Summary: A young and unprepared Red finds a mysterious basket on his front porch one day. He discovers a cute happy baby inside.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	A Basket of Joy

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came into my head when I was thinking about Red taking care of Lizzie after her coma in my other story. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Blacklist or the characters and I do not make a profit. This is strictly for fan entertainment purposes.

Red heard a slight knock on his front door, then nothing. He was curious, so he peeked out a gap in the curtain; nobody was there, but a basket was on the front porch. He expected it to be something horrific like a bomb or some kind of warning like a person’s head, so he opened the door with extreme caution. Red held his gun at the ready, and his heart pounded as the pink and white blanket moved. Suddenly, he heard a baby’s quiet fussing and two tiny bootie-covered feet stuck out. The baby moved the blanket down and he saw her adorable little face. Red glanced around, trying to spot who left her there, but there was no sign of anyone. The baby fussed again more seriously now; he realized she needed someone, and that someone was _him_.

Red stepped into the doorway and put his gun down on the side table, then he cautiously looked around again before lifting the basket and taking it inside. He closed and locked the door, then he stared at the baby. She seemed already soothed by his presence. She gazed up at him with big blue eyes and made a tiny cooing sound as her hands and feet moved. Red was astonished; why would someone leave an otherwise well-cared for baby on a stranger’s doorstep? The baby fussed again.

“What am I going to do with you, hm? I don’t have any baby stuff for you. You’ll need diapers and formula and a million other things.” Red said, looking down at the baby in the basket at his feet.

The baby started bawling.

“I know. I’m feeling something similar right now. Let’s go to the store. I’ll get you fed and cleaned up. Come on.” Red said, then he picked up the basket and took it with him to his car. He put the basket in the backseat and strapped it in with the seatbelt as a crude safety measure.

The baby quieted down as he began driving.

“Good girl. Just a bit longer, then you’ll get some food and a fresh diaper.” He said.

Red soon parked in a drug store lot and considered just running in by himself, but he realized he needed to bring the baby in with him. He got the basket out and carried it into the store. He received lots of funny looks as a man in a three-thousand-dollar suit carrying a baby in a woven basket. However, a woman in the baby aisle took pity on him and decided to help.

“What do you need? You look a bit lost.” The woman said.

“I’m more than a bit lost. I need…everything.” Red said.

“Wow, okay. Well, let’s see…do you mind if I just grab things and throw them in the cart for you? It’ll save time.” She said.

“That would be fantastic, actually. Thank you very much.” He said.

“No problem. I know how overwhelming it can be to make sure you have all the supplies on hand. My baby’s three months old, too.” She said.

Red glanced at the baby in his basket and wondered how the woman determined the age, but it was great to have an estimate.

“…So, I’ll need some formula, right? Her mother’s not in the picture…” Red said.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Yes, you’ll need formula. This one’s recommended. The instructions are on the tin.” The woman said.

“Oh, good. I appreciate that.” He said.

“I’m happy to help! What’s her name? She’s too cute.” She said.

“…Lizzie.” He said; that was the first cute name that popped into his head.

“Aww sweet. Hi, Lizzie! Aren’t you a sweet baby? Being so patient while your daddy goes shopping.” She said.

Red just smiled in response. The woman finished grabbing all the baby necessities and filling his cart.

“This may be presumptuous of me, but…if you need a carseat and stroller, there are some great ones down the street at the department store. They’ve also got toys, blankets, cribs and all that. Do you know the one I’m talking about?” She said.

“Yes. That’s a great idea, thank you.” He said; he was still pondering how long he’d be keeping the baby for. Surely he had to turn her in to some authority.

“Also, I know this might seem embarrassing, but there’s a parenting group I go to. It’s all moms, but we’d be happy to have you and Lizzie join us! Here’s the info.” The woman said, now hurriedly writing on a pad from her purse.

She handed him the paper with the meeting info and phone number, and her name.

“Helen. Well, thank you so much. I’m humbled by your kindness and I really needed help with this task. I’m a little out of my depth.” Red said.

“No problem. I think it’s a new mom thing. I want to take care of babies. Any babies.” Helen said, then they laughed.

Red realized ‘his’ baby was fussing again and he had to get going. He paid the surprisingly expensive total and then loaded everything into the car, including the baby. He looked at her little face, and he decided she needed a proper crib to sleep in tonight. And a proper carseat. He rushed home and opened the packaged milk bottles, the formula and diapers.

“I don’t know what to do first, Lizzie. Let’s try your food.” Red said, worried she was starving now.

Red read the directions and sterilized the bottle, then he mixed up the formula and tested the temperature of it on his wrist.

“Okay, let’s get you out of there…up you come. There, that’s better.” He said, cradling Lizzie in his arm.

Red offered the bottle nipple to Lizzie and she eagerly began suckling.

“Oh you poor thing. You were starving. I knew it. Well, I had to go to the store first, you see, because I didn’t have any food for you. But next time, you won’t have to wait, I promise.” He said.

Baby Lizzie just continued concentrating on filling her tummy. Red couldn’t help smiling as he watched her. She really was adorable. She had dark hair and very blue eyes, typically chubby cheeks and a look of determination on her face to finish the bottle. He held her and paced around a little in the kitchen until she was done, then he gently took the bottle away.

“I _think_ you’re supposed to be burped now, so I’m going to put you like this.” Red said, bringing her upright against his shoulder.

He lightly patted and rubbed her back, and eventually she spat up.

“Oh dear. That’s okay. I know a very good dry-cleaner.” Red said wryly; he hadn’t thought of putting a cloth on his shoulder beforehand.

Red grabbed a clean kitchen towel and wiped Lizzie’s mouth for her, then he carried her around for a while, making sure she didn’t spit up again. She looked around very curiously at literally everything, and he was amused.

“That’s a window. It’s got curtains on it. That’s called a cupboard. It’s a funny word, isn’t it? And that’s just the wall, sweetheart.” Red said, then he chuckled; Lizzie seemed interested in the paint colour. She then turned and looked at his face. She didn’t make strange, surprisingly; she just gazed at him interestedly for a while.

“I’m Red. I’m taking care of you because for some reason, you were on my doorstep earlier.” Red said softly as they were face to face.

Baby Lizzie grasped his nose.

“Yep, that’s my nose.” He said, chuckling.

She touched his cheek with her tiny hand and he felt compelled to give her a hug. He held her close and rubbed her back, then he kissed her chubby cheek. She smiled briefly, which made his day. Red was finding the wonders of fatherhood—albeit random fatherhood—rewarding.

“Well, now for the gross part. Let’s change your diaper.” Red said; this would be the less rewarding duty.

Red put a towel down on the bed and put Lizzie on it; thankfully he brought wipes and a clean diaper in with him so he didn’t have to worry about leaving her to go get them. He had to remove the entire onesie she was wearing, which was kind of a pain. He took her soiled diaper off, which was indeed gross, then he tidied her, dried her skin and put a fresh diaper on—after figuring out which way to put it on. Red re-dressed her in the onesie.

“That only took me about forty-five minutes. Now, let’s go to the department store.” He said wryly.

Red went around the store receiving even more looks now that he was wearing baby vomit on his expensive suit, but he was able to buy a nice safe crib, carseat, washcloths, blankets, clothing, toys, a mobile and a stroller. He was fully kitted out. When he got home, he put Lizzie in the carseat on the floor while he assembled the crib next to his bed. By the time he was ready to sleep, Lizzie needed to be fed and changed again. After that, Red finally placed Lizzie in the crib for bedtime.

“Goodnight, sweetheart. I don’t know where you came from or why you were left with me, but…you’re stealing my heart.” Red said quietly.

Lizzie was dozing off, so he went over to the bed and slumped down on it, feeling exhausted.

The next morning, Red woke up and his eyes settled on the crib. He recalled he suddenly acquired a baby! He sat up and eagerly checked on Lizzie in the crib. She was awake, looking bright-eyed and happy. Her hands went up, reaching towards him.

“Hello, Lizzie. How did you sleep? You look wide awake.” Red said, smiling as he picked her up and held her.

She wriggled slightly with her feet.

“Alright, Daddy’ll feed you.” He said; he realized just how attached he was to her. He was now her 'daddy'.

Red looked into her eyes and she moved her little feet again as she smiled at him.

“Are you excited to get breakfast? Or have a new daddy? I’m going to assume both, just to make myself feel better.” Red said humorously, carrying her into the kitchen.

Red started preparing the supplies for her formula, still cradling her in one arm. He then placed her in the carseat as he finished getting it ready. She had her bottle, got burped—this time with a cloth on his shoulder—and got cleaned and changed. After all that, he had his breakfast while Lizzie watched him and played with a big pacifier ring toy. Although Lizzie was healthy and well-cared for, Red wondered if this was her first toy. His heart swelled.

Later that day, he reluctantly watched for news reports on missing babies and asked some of his sources about why he might have been chosen to take the baby. Nothing was on the news and nobody knew anything. It seemed that Lizzie was willingly and randomly given up to him. Red picked Lizzie up and cradled her. She looked at him and smiled with slight dimples in her chubby cheeks as he rocked her.

“Guess what, Lizzie. I’m officially your daddy! I’m keeping you. I’m going to get your ID papers sorted out. You’ll be Lizzie Reddington. What do you think?” Red said, then he adoringly kissed her cheek a bunch of times.

Lizzie reached her hand up and Red put it on his lips; he very lightly blew a raspberry, tickling her hand. She kicked her feet and giggled, which delighted him. He did it again and she was still very amused. He didn’t want to overdo it so that she’d get bored, so he stopped. He carried her around the house and narrated what he was doing. He told her what objects were called as she gazed curiously at them. Red had fun interacting with Lizzie and caring for her all day; when it was time for bed, he got her ready and put her down in her crib. Red set up the mobile this time, since he wasn’t exhausted. It was made of stars and quietly tinkled the tune ’Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’.

Red adoringly gazed down at Lizzie as she fell asleep.

“I’ve only had you for barely two days, and you’re my whole world. You’re my home, Lizzie. We’ll go everywhere together and I’ll keep you safe. I’ll teach you and help you and love you. You’re my little sweetheart and I love you very much. Sweet dreams.” Red said emotionally.

**The End**


End file.
